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The Most Common Deal Breakers

When it comes to dating, some things are just unforgivable. But, where do most people draw the line? To find out more on this topic, we surveyed more than 2,000 people who dished on their relationship must-or-busts. Which regions dislike infidelity the most? Does the length of a relationship determine the status of a deal breaker? Keep reading to see if your deal breakers made the list.

It’s Time We See Other People

Clearly, cheating is still considered one of the biggest relationship deal breakers. In fact, our respondents displayed a much greater chance of cutting off a relationship because of cheating before abuse of any kind.

His or Hers?

The emotional impact of cheating resonates strongly with both men and women. But while women consider abuse (physical or emotional) to be next on their list – lying, control, and trust issues are the next big deal breakers for men. It’s no wonder this form of mistreatment ranks high for women: 1 in 3 have been victims of abuse by a partner.

Do Relationships Become Easier With Age?

Over time, people and relationships change. Things that were once considered important in a partnership may be significantly less so in the future. So it’s worth noting that for couples in newer relationships, including those who have been together less than a year, abuse is less of a deal breaker than for couples who have been together more than 40 years.

Hook It and Book It

It’s a much different story for those who are just seeking a date or hookup. The most serious relationship deal breaker for those looking to make a match is racism and intolerance, averaging at 8.4 (on a scale of 1 to 10 – 10 being the biggest deal breaker).

When it comes to dating, sex appeal is a must. But so is personality: Nothing is more likely to dampen the mood more than offhand comments.

What our survey respondents are sure of? A partner can never have too much money. Being ridiculously rich is considered the least serious deal breaker, followed closely by being shy or quiet; each averaged 2.2 and 2.3 respectively.

Hooking up Across the Board

Across the board, racism and intolerance are partner enemy No. 1. For those 51 years and older, bad hygiene is considered one of the top offenses, followed by being flaky or unreliable. For women in general, sexism tops the list.

Till Death Do Us Part

Marriage often comes with the expectation of being with someone until the end – no matter what. But there can be many reasons why marriages don’t always work, including having sex with multiple people (i.e., cheating numerous times) and physical abuse; each averaged 9.2 and 9.1 respectively in our study. Losing a job, on the other hand, won’t necessarily cost you a relationship. Our survey results show that this is considered the least serious deal breaker, at 2.2.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

For married couples, cheating with several other people and physical abuse could be grounds for separation or divorce. In particular, gay people consider physical abuse and emotional abuse to be the most serious deal breakers. Straight people, men, and 18- to 29-year-olds believe infidelity takes the deal-breaker cake – twice.

Cheating Is Cheating Is Cheating

On a regional level, infidelity is a hot issue. In the South Atlantic, 46.1 percent of respondents consider cheating the ultimate deal breaker. In the West North Central, 43.4 percent also agree. And in the West South Central, 42.9 percent of respondents also believe cheating is an ultimate deal breaker. Meanwhile, the New England region doesn’t consider cheating to be such a big deal, only 34.2 percent said it would be grounds for terminating a relationship.

Communication Is Key

Cheating and abuse, whether physical or emotional, are serious deal breakers for almost everyone. And for good reason.

Relationships can be hard. That’s a fact. It’s important to have expectations and to value yourself as a person before jumping into any relationship. The old adage is true: If you can’t love yourself, you can’t love other people. So know your limits and address them before committing to a partner. It’ll save you plenty of heartache.

If you’re interested in seeing the deal breakers of prospective partners and laying down your own hard limits, download Sapio today!